THESE pictures reveal Woolwich’s Crossrail station box where an 1,000 tonne machine is set to tunnel under the Thames to North Woolwich.
Tunnel boring machine Mary is gearing up to churn out the 2.6km path under the river early next year for the £16 billion high-speed rail link which will run from Plumstead to North Woolwich.
Crossrail tunneller Peter Bermingham, 70, is preparing for his record tenth journey under the Thames in a career spanning almost 50 years where he remembers digging tunnels with spades and shovels.
Mr Bermingham, who was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to tunnelling in 1992, said: "It’s the camaraderie and the spirit among the lads that’s kept me in the business for so long and I’ll miss it when I retire.
"Going under the Thames for the tenth time will feel pretty special, in particular on a project that is going to bring such benefits to the local area.
"Back in the 60s, we dug tunnels by hand using pneumatic spades and shovels, often with a cloth cap or a handkerchief on our heads.
"Nowadays we’re using £10m machines guided by lasers to construct the tunnels running under the streets of the capital."
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